Lingfield preview: Agent Gibbs can complete hat-trick

The Ali Strong trained gelding has proved a different proposition since tackling handicaps, landing a 1m 2f contest at Nottingham in good style before following up in facile fashion at Brighton four days later under a 6lb penalty.

Agent Gibbs could not have been more impressive in the latter, racing prominently before surging clear entering the final furlong to score by seven lengths.

The three-year-old is due to 16lbs to a rating of 76 in future assignments, so it’s no surprise that connections have turned him out quickly under a penalty.

In doing so it means that Agent Gibbs is able to race off 72, so effectively has 4lb in hand on the assessor.

It is going to make the son of Bertonlini very hard to beat, especially with the step up to 1m 4f looking sure to suit.

The only slight concern is that this is the third run in just eight days for Agent Gibbs, but he hardly had to break sweat when scoring at Brighton and looks the type who has even more to offer.

In the 6f handicap (15.35), Subversive can take advantage of a drop in the weights and ease in grade to get back on the winning trail.

The Mark Johnston trained gelding has run well in his last two starts in class 3 contests, finishing a solid third at Nottingham off a mark of 82 and a decent sixth of 12 to the progressive Don’t Touch at Wolverhampton off 80.

Subversive is now able to race in this lower grade class 4 affair off 78, the same rating as when last successful over course and distance back in March.

It gives the three-year-old major claims from a handicapping perspective in a contest lacking any real strength in depth.

Another plus is that all of Subversive’s three career wins have come on artificial services, and with James Doyle in the saddle everything points to a huge run.